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What is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card? 😕
If you’re heading to Thailand, including joining a Thailand tour, you’ll need to complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, or TDAC, before you arrive.
The TDAC replaced the old paper TM6 arrival card from 1 May 2025. Instead of filling out a form on the plane or at the border, you now submit your arrival information online.
The good news is that it’s quite straightforward and normally only takes a few minutes.
Think of it as the digital version of the old TM6 paper arrival card, only without trying to find a pen somewhere over the Indian Ocean.
Thailand’s New THIM App: Do Tourists Need It?
If you’ve been researching Thailand’s entry requirements in recent months, you may have seen information about the new Thailand Immigration Management (THIM) app, which has been introduced by Thai Immigration alongside the existing Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) system.
The important bit is simple: if you’re coming to Thailand for a normal holiday, you don’t need to download or use THIM.
You still need to complete a Thailand Digital Arrival Card before entering Thailand, but you can continue doing that through the official TDAC website exactly as before.
THIM is an optional app which can also be used for TDAC related registration. It may be useful for repeat visitors, families or groups, but it isn’t another form you need to complete and it doesn’t replace the TDAC.
How To Fill Out the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) ✍️
You can complete the TDAC on your computer, phone or tablet.
Use the official Thai Immigration TDAC website:
https://tdac.immigration.go.th
You can submit it within three days before arriving in Thailand, including your arrival date.
There are other websites offering to complete the TDAC for you, sometimes for a fee. There really isn’t any need. The official Thai Immigration service is free.
or scan the barcode 👇🏼
Scan here to visit the official TDAC immigration website.
What Information Will You Need to Provide?
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) must be submitted within 3 days before your arrival, including the day you arrive. Here’s what the form asks for:
- Passport details – Including your name, nationality and passport number
- Travel details – Including your arrival date and flight or transport information
- Address in Thailand – Normally your first accommodation
- Purpose of your visit
- Health declaration information – Based on your recent travel
- Email address – So you can receive your completed TDAC
Have your passport, flight details and first hotel address ready before you start. You can’t save an unfinished TDAC and come back to it later, so it’s easier to have everything to hand and complete it in one go.
📌 TDAC Quick Checklist:
- ✓ Submit within 3 days of arrival, including your arrival day
- ✓ Add your first hotel address – even if you’re moving around
- ✓ Complete any health questions shown by the system
- ✓ Download your completed TDAC and QR code
- ✓ Keep it available on your phone and carry a printed backup
What Happens When You Arrive in Thailand?
You’ll still go through immigration as usual. Once you’ve submitted your TDAC, download the completed document containing your QR code and keep it somewhere easy to find.
When you arrive, the process is as follows:
- Queue at immigration (no change there)
- Show your passport
- Have your TDAC and QR code ready to show if requested
You can keep the TDAC on your phone or another device, but we always recommend carrying a printed backup as well.
If you didn’t complete it beforehand, don’t worry – kiosks and free Wi-Fi are available at airports to help you fill it out on arrival. Still, it’s much smoother if you do it in advance.
TDAC for Land, Sea and Air Travellers to Thailand 🌏
The TDAC isn’t just for people arriving by air.
Non Thai nationals entering Thailand by land, sea or air need to complete one.
You’ll also need a new TDAC each time you enter Thailand.
So, if you visit Cambodia, Malaysia or Laos during your trip and then return to Thailand, you’ll need to submit another TDAC before coming back.
The same applies if you live in Thailand and return after travelling overseas.
In transit? If you’re only connecting through Thailand and don’t pass through immigration, you don’t need a TDAC.
📌 Do I need a TDAC?
- ✓ Yes, when entering Thailand as a non Thai national
- ✓ Yes, every time you leave Thailand and enter again
- ✕ No, if you’re only transiting and remain airside without passing immigration
Health Questions: Do They Apply to You? 😷
The TDAC includes a health declaration section based partly on your recent travel.
You don’t need to work out in advance which health questions apply to you. Enter your recent travel information accurately and complete any extra information the system asks for.
Requirements can change depending on public health rules, so this is one part of the form where it’s better to answer what you’re actually asked rather than relying on an old checklist.
Vegan Travellers: Does the Thailand Entry System Affect You Differently? 🌱
No.
The TDAC requirements are the same whether you’re vegan, vegetarian or planning to spend your holiday surviving entirely on mango sticky rice.
When you travel plant based, there’s usually enough extra planning already, from finding food to checking ingredients and deciding where to eat.
Sorting your arrival paperwork before you leave simply removes one more thing from the list.
If you’re joining a GoVegan Travel Thailand tour, we’ll look after the food and logistics once you’re here, but completing your TDAC remains your responsibility.
Final Thoughts 🤔
The TDAC has now been in use since May 2025 and, once you know what information you need, there really isn’t much to it.
Complete it within three days of arriving, use the official Thai Immigration website, download your TDAC and keep the QR code somewhere you can easily find it.
And if you’ve heard about the newer THIM app and wondered whether that’s another thing you now need to worry about, it isn’t.
For most visitors, you can simply complete your TDAC online and get on with your trip.
If things still feel a bit confusing, the official Thailand Immigration TDAC website has the latest instructions and FAQs. Or watch the official Thai government YouTube information video below
Leave a comment:
- Are you planning a trip to Thailand soon?
- Had you already heard of the TDAC and the newer THIM app?
- Do you think the new system makes things simpler, or has it become overcomplicated?
Share your thoughts in the comments – we’d love to know what you think.
Common Questions Answered ⁉🙋🏻♂️
Yes. Every non Thai traveller, including children and babies, needs a TDAC.
However, you don’t have to submit every traveller separately. The official system allows up to 10 travellers to be included in one group submission.
You can use a computer or one of the airport kiosks on arrival. But doing it beforehand is quicker and less stressful.
Yes. Once you’ve submitted your TDAC, the completed document includes a QR code.
You can keep it on your phone or another device, but we always recommend carrying a printed backup as well.
There are kiosks at the airport, but it’s much easier to do it before your flight.
Some information can be corrected using the Update Arrival Card function.
Certain key details, including your name, passport number, nationality and date of birth, can’t be edited. If one of those is wrong, submit a new TDAC with the correct information. The most recent valid submission will be used.
Yes, all foreign travellers, regardless of visa type, must complete the TDAC before entering Thailand.
If you live here long-term, you should now be able to select Thailand. That option wasn’t available at first, but it’s reportedly fixed. If there’s still an issue, just list your country of origin and explain to the immigration officer.
No.
THIM is an optional Thai Immigration app. It isn’t an extra entry requirement.
If you’re simply visiting Thailand and are happy completing the TDAC through the official website, you can ignore THIM.
Need more information on whether Thailand really is a good destination for vegan travellers. Click the link below:
Vegan Travel in Thailand: Is the Land of Smiles Really Vegan-Friendly?.
Last updated: August 2026
